Come political, economic or social crisis, cricket in Zimbabwe goes on. The domestic season, Zimbabwe’s fourth with a franchise system, begins on Saturday and will run until the first weekend in March 2013.Limited-overs matches kick off the summer with first-class competition only starting at the end of October. The pattern of their season has little impact on international competition, because they play so rarely, but is designed to minimise cost as Zimbabwe’s board battles with debt.Zimbabwe’s next international assignment is in March when they tour the Caribbean, although they are also in the process of rescheduling a visit from Bangladesh. That means international players will feature heavily, as this is the closest thing they have to competition and the domestic circuit will be used to experiment and improve.Matabeleland Tuskers This is Zimbabwe’s strongest franchise, based on last season’s results. The Tuskers won the first-class competition and ended third in both the fifty-over and twenty-over competitions.Their coach, Dave Houghton has left to work in another area but national bowling coach, Heath Streak will take over. A good mix of experience, such as captain Gavin Ewing and seamer Chris Mpofu, and youth, like allrounder Keegan Meth and quick Njabulo Ncube, make up their squad.Notably, the Tuskers can field no overseas players because of financial constraints. English players Adam Wheater and Paul Horton will not return to the franchise as a result of this.Sean Ervine, who plays for Hampshire and previously turned his back on Zimbabwe before the 2011 World Cup, has returned to the fold. Sean Williams, who opted out of the World T20 because of a dispute with the board, is also back and veteran bowler Mluleki Nkala has made himself available for selection as well.Mashonaland Eagles Fifty-over champions and runners-up in the first-class tournament saw the Eagles enjoy a successful season last year. They are a stable unit, run by former international and coach Kevin Curran, and have a few national players in their ranks, some of whom will have to use their time in the franchise system to regain form after Zimbabwe’s poor showing against New Zealand and at the World T20.Stuart Matsikenyeri captains the side which also includes Elton Chigumbura, Kyle Jarvis and Ray Price. Promising faces to watch out for are Forster Mutizwa, Cephas Zuwao and Sikandar Raza. Chamu Chibhabha has also joined the Eagles.Mid-West Rhinos It will be a tough ask for the Rhinos – mid-tablers for most of last season – because they have lost their two best batsmen: Gary Ballance and Riki Wessels. Ballance, who is Zimbabwean born but has committed to England, has been included in England’s performance squad to tour India while money could be keeping Wessels away.What the Rhinos do have is a wealth of national talent. They will be coached by Grant Flower and have national captain Brendan Taylor in their ranks. Also in the squad is Vusi Sibanda, Malcolm Waller and Graeme Cremer. One international, Essex’s Jaik Mickelburgh, will turn out for them.Mark Vermeulen is part of the squad on a pay-as-you-play basis. If he plays, he would have represented five Zimbabwean domestic teams.MountaineersVictory in last season’s twenty-over competition buoyed this franchise amid a poor return in other formats. They finished last in the fifty-over tournament and second-last in the first-class game.Change may come in the form of the coach and chief executive, Gary and Jon Brent. Both are former internationals and have embarked on a schools programme to broaden cricket awareness in the Mutare region. The squad has held coaching clinics at local schools and more than 70 teachers were trained in basic cricket skills in the winter in the hope that they will impart the knowledge to pupils. Jon hopes this will allow 800 children access to the game and create a talent pool for Mountaineers to dip into.Southern Rocks It was from this franchise that national bowler Brian Vitori emerged but they have had little else to show for their cricketing efforts. They finished at the bottom of both the first-class and twenty-over tables last season and were second from bottom in the fifty-over competition.Houghton has moved from the Tuskers to the Rocks in a bid to help develop the Masvingo-based side. Houghton has brought with him two players – Peter Burgoyne and Ben Slater – from Derbyshire, where he coaches in the English summer.Their bowling has been strengthened with the inclusion of three former internationals – Trevor Garwe, Tawanda Mupariwa and Tinashe Panyangara – but they have lost batsman Chamu Chibhabha.

ScorecardDaniel Christian made 71 for South Australia•Getty Images

Queensland’s batsmen clung on to deny South Australia the chance to end their long drought without a Sheffield Shield win as the match in Adelaide petered out to draw on the final afternoon. Set 222 for victory, the Bulls initially appeared keen to go for the runs but after they stumbled to 5 for 101 they shut up shop and played for the draw, finishing at 6 for 129 with Joe Burns on 16 and Nathan Hauritz on 0.It was a disappointing end for the Redbacks, who had their best chance for some time for a Shield win, but their drought has now stretched to 19 matches without a victory. To add to their frustration, Queensland took the only points from the match, having scraped past South Australia’s first innings of 402 with nine wickets down.The debutant Daniel Worrall gave the Redbacks some hope with his 3 for 36, including the opener Alex Kemp (33), Usman Khawaja (26) and Peter Forrest, who made 16 from 11 balls. Nathan Lyon also picked up two wickets but in the end South Australia ran out of time, although the Bulls could have said the same thing, finishing 93 runs short of their victory target.The day began with the Redbacks adding 135 to their overnight score as Daniel Christian posted 71 with some support from the tail. Ben Cutting, Nathan Hauritz and Cameron Boyce finished with two wickets each.

ألقى الدولي البلجيكي تيبو كورتوا حارس مرمى ريال مدريد، باللوم على الحظ، بعد تعادل فريقه أمام ريال سوسيداد في الدوري الإسباني.

ريال مدريد سقط في فخ التعادل السلبي خارج قواعده أمام النادي الباسكي، على ملعب “أنويتا”، مساء الأحد، بالجولة الثانية من الليجا (طالع تقرير المباراة).

وقال كورتوا في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية: “نحن سعداء بفريقنا والأداء الذي قدمه، نحن واجهنا خصمًا لم يتمكن من صنع العديد من الفرص أمامنا، باستثناء كرة واحدة وتصديت لها”.

وأضاف: “لقد صنعنا فرصًا ولكن افتقدنا للمسة الأخيرة في منطقة الجزاء، نحن نبدو في حالة جيدة، ولا يجب أنّ ننسى أننا واجهنا فريق يتدرب مُنذ فترة طويلة وأكثر منا، وهذه كانت مباراتهم الثانية في الليجا”.

وواصل: “في الشوط الأول كنا على ما يرام، وكان هناك إيقاع جيد، ولكن في الشوط الثاني تراجعنا قليلًا، ولكن نحن سعداء بما قدمناه، باستثناء عدم إحرازنا لأهداف”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. راموس عن تعثر ريال مدريد أمام سوسيداد: بداية صعبة وسنواصل العمل

وأردف: “لم نسجّل أهدافًا ولكن نجحنا في الحفاظ على نظافة الشباك، وأنا واثق أن الهدف سيأتي، لدينا لاعبون على مستوى عالٍ جدًا، وبنزيما يساندهم، اليوم لم يُحالفه الحظ، ومن المهم للغاية أننا نجحنا في الخروج بشباك نظيفة”.

وأتم تصريحاته قائلًا: “نحن لسنا قلقين من عدم إحرازنا للأهداف، مهاجمونا يُسجلون أهدافًا في التدريبات وفي مباراتنا الودية ضد خيتافي سجلنا أيضًا، ولكن في بعض الأحيان الكرة لا تريد الدخول للشباك، وأنا واثق أنّ الأهداف ستأتي”.

It quickly went downhill for Musonda at Celtic. He joined the club at a difficult time but seemed more interested in his social media profile than playing his way into Brendan Rodgers’ system.

His 18-month loan deal was cut short in May, returning to Chelsea without any lessons learned. A knee injury hampered this season’s loan spell with Vitesse as the downward spiral continued.

Musonda will retire from football as a very rich young man. Perhaps he’ll have regrets about a talent scorned but his case perfectly highlights the player ‘farms’ being built up by big clubs like his parent club which is effectively killing off emerging talent.

A generation ago Musonda might have caught the eye in Belgium, earned a move to Anderlecht, perhaps Celtic then moved to a mid-table EPL side before reaching Chelsea.

Offering impressionable teenagers long contracts ensures that their bank balance will be healthy but their career will at best stall as they miss out crucial steps in their development.

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Mark Noble has admitted in his Evening Standard column that the endless speculation over not only Marko Arnautovic’s future, but also that of every one of West Ham United’s strikers, has affected the team.

What’s the word?

Arnautovic spent most of the January window with his head seemingly elsewhere when it emerged that clubs in the Chinese Super League were chasing his signature. Javier Hernandez and Lucas Perez also had their names regularly spread across the back pages.

Even the injury-prone Andy Carroll was tipped to be heading for the exit door as a shock replacement for Harry Kane at Tottenham. But come the end of deadline day, not one of the quartet actually left the London Stadium.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals what Lasagne-Gate was really like for Tottenham’s food-poisoned stars – Check out the video below…

Now, with the window behind them, Hammers captain Noble has acknowledged in his Evening Standard column that the speculation over their respective futures affected the rest of the squad.

The £6.3million rated midfielder noted: “That [speculation] has to have an effect on everyone, not just the players concerned but all the squad.

“It hasn’t been ideal at all. Everyone knows how it works. Agents are very active during the window, and there is no way players concerned can prepare properly for a game when that is happening.

“I’m not making any excuses for our past two performances, but it must have had an adverse effect.”

Pellegrini’s man-management crucial

When the leader of the pack is stating that the interest in his colleagues has affected results, the captain of the ship must step up and hit refresh on the mindset of his players.

In the case of West Ham, this responsibility falls to Manuel Pellegrini and the end product of his man management will come clear on Monday night when the Irons host the current league leaders Liverpool.

The Reds will be keen to push further clear of the current title-holders with a win, and if Jurgen Klopp can orchestrate such a result, it will be the Hammers’ fourth loss in a row after defeats at Bournemouth, AFC Wimbledon and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

There is only so much Pellegrini can do when it comes to outside influences, such as transfer talk and whispering agents – but after Noble suggested this is a common issue at the club in January, it’s something he’ll need to try and prepare for next time around.

For now though, Pellegrini needs to get his squad simply thinking about their football again, rather than potential futures elsewhere.

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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could well end up playing a part for Liverpool in the latter stages of the 2018/19 campaign, which looked in severe doubt at one point.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has been on the sidelines since rupturing knee ligaments in the Champions League semi-final against Roma last April.

The 32-cap international was forced to miss the resulting Champions League final, in addition to the 2018 World Cup where England reached the semi-finals.

The 25-year-old has recently started ball work, however, and could return to first-team training in the middle of next month – according to The Liverpool Echo.

Liverpool will, obviously, be very careful when it comes to re-introducing Oxlade-Chamberlain due to the seriousness of his problem.

However, it now appears possible that the Englishman will play a part for Liverpool in the final weeks of the campaign.

His return will be like a new signing for Liverpool, who are battling to stay top of the Premier League table amid huge pressure from Manchester City.

Jurgen Klopp recently praised the manner in which Oxlade-Chamberlain has dealt with the setback, and Liverpool supporters were quick to respond on Twitter. Here’s a look at some of the best reactions…

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In a surprisingly goalless night at Anfield, only a handful of players produced majestic attacking moments during Liverpool’s 0-0 draw against Bayern Munich.

While Mohamed Salah looked dangerous in his hunting ground and Sadio Mane missed crucial chances, Serge Gnabry’s sizzling work caught everyone’s eyes.

Niko Kovac had a cautious approach to the game and knowing Liverpool’s attacking threat, pegged his men backwards. However, the German winger wasn’t restricted at all, being allowed to trouble Andy Robertson with his movement. Having scored thrice in his last four appearances (stats via WhoScored), Gnabry arrived back in England a confident figure.

Right from the get-go, he looked menacing and showed real urgency to take on his man. He made quite the impact in the 12th minute when he skipped past Andy Robertson before fizzing in an inviting cross which struck Joel Matip. before Allison somehow saved with his body.

Gnabry didn’t stop after the strong start, always trying to create opportunities for his side and took a few swipes which blazed past the goal. He kept an 80% passing accuracy while completing two dribbles and winning eight duels as well (stats via Fotmob). Despite being unable to break the deadlock, Gnabry’s performance is telling of his talent.

Arsenal must be lamenting letting him go prematurely. They should’ve trusted his talent and played him more regularly, as he proved himself to be tailor-made for succeeding in the Premier League. What’s the Gunners’ loss is Bayern’s success, with the Bavarians possessing a ready-made replacement for Arjen Robben.

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Everton U23 manager David Unsworth waxed lyrical about 22-year-old goalkeeper Mateusz Hewelt following his display and clean sheet in the 2-0 win against Blackburn Rovers in Southport on Monday night, as per evertonfc.com.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 22-year-old has been the first-choice for the U23s for a while now and he stepped up to the plate with a huge performance against the Lancashire outfit on Monday, with Unsworth seriously impressed with what he witnessed.

The one-time Toffees caretaker boss told evertonfc.com post-match: “That’s the best I’ve seen him.

“I’ve told him that. He made saves to keep us in the game and it was a fantastic performance. He gave us a platform to go and win the game. His was one of a number of outstanding performances.”

The goalkeeper made two brilliant saves to thwart Joseph Nuttall and John Buckley after Rovers started strongly, before goals from Bassala Sambou and Fraser Hornby eventually wrapped up the points for the Merseyside outfit.

What does future hold for Hewelt?

Despite being with the club since 2015 and the fact that he turns 23 years of age in September, he has only made one appearance in the first-team squad – away against Apollon Limassol in the Europa League in December 2017.

The stopper will surely be keen to prove that he can make the step up on a more regular basis sooner rather than later, and he may well have done exactly that with his latest display.

Marco Silva will be well aware of him and should be in direct contact with Unsworth to see who could be good enough to make the step up, and the 45-year-old’s latest comments prove he has the quality to make a difference.

With Jordan Pickford’s back-up Maarten Stekelenburg 36 years of age and only having just over a year remaining on his contract at Goodison Park, Hewelt could now be ready to seriously challenge the senior Toffees man.

Chelsea fans will be licking their wounds for a long time after yesterday. The Blues were thoroughly embarrassed by Manchester City at The Etihad yesterday. Their 6-0 defeat was their heaviest ever in the Premier League and the fans were in no mood to let players have a free ride, with Marcos Alonso taking a battering from the travelling Blues.

Alonso was one of the key figures under Antonio Conte’s Chelsea, with the Spaniard doing everything right up and down the left flank as a wing-back. However, the 28-year-old has been unable to replicate that form that he showed when playing as a wing-back on the side of a three when he starts in a flat four at the back, and he simply isn’t good enough there in Maurizio Sarri’s setup.

In the defeat yesterday the Spaniard looked devoid of confidence, tired and all in all like he just didn’t want to be there. It’s hard to blame him though, seeing as the 6-0 thumping was Chelsea’s heaviest defeat since they fell to a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Nottingham Forest before the birth of the Premier League in April 1991. Somehow, Chelsea and Alonso need to bounce back from the defeat, and facing Malmo in the Europa League could be the perfect game to do just that.

You can read the Blues’ verdict on Alonso here:

The Blues hated having to suffer yesterday’s defeat and would cut ties with Marcos Alonso now if they could.

For an established manager coming into a new League, Unai Emery has had a fairly typical first season as of yet. He is trying to mould players into his philosophy, which takes time, as well as realising who just won’t fit ahead of next season.

One of those players, unfortunately, is Petr Cech. The 36-year-old has been a fantastic servant for Arsenal, but adapting to Emery’s ideologies has not been easy as although he has remarkable goalkeeping abilities, he is not very accomplished with the ball at his feet, which has meant he has struggled at times this season.

Just over a month ago, Cech announced he will be retiring at the end of the season and that he will call time on his phenomenal career. This obviously leaves the number two ‘keeper spot free for next season and it should be someone who can truly challenge Bernd Leno.

The Sun have reported Arsenal could move for out-of-favour Burnley ‘keeper Nick Pope. However, if they do not, here are two options they should consider…

Fernando Pacheco

This is a name which will not be renown in England, but it is certainly being banded about in Spain in high-regard.

Pacheco is Alaves’ number one, who are currently sixth in La Liga and his form is one of the reasons that the side find themselves at such a position in the division.

The 26-year-old is an athletic shot-stopper and adept with the ball at his feet. He has the exact qualities needed to play in Emery’s system and could certainly challenge Leno in the process.

Emiliano Martinez

Martinez was brought to Reading on loan from Arsenal by new boss Jose Manuel Gomes in January and he has started their past five games, in which the Royals have only lost once.

If he can continue his solid form for Reading and potentially help to push them out of the relegation zone, albeit a tough ask, he should certainly be considered for the number two spot next season and to put the pressure on Leno to deliver in his performances.